A Generous Vision

Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989) was a noted art critic and artist, and a prime mover in the New York art world. She was a vivacious social catalyst. Her sparkling wit enlivened meetings of the Club, nights at the Cedar Tavern, and chance conversations on the street. Her droll sense of humour, generosity of spirit, and freewheeling spending were as legendary as her ever-present cigarette

The first biography of Elaine de Kooning, A Generous Vision portrays a woman whose intelligence, droll sense of humor, and generosity of spirit endeared her to friends and gave her a starring role in the close-knit world of New York artists. Her zest for adventure and freewheeling spending were as legendary as her ever-present cigarette. Flamboyant and witty in person, she was an incisive art writer who expressed maverick opinions in a deceptively casual style. As a painter, she melded Abstract Expressionism with a lifelong interest in bodily movement to capture subjects as diverse as President John F. Kennedy, basketball players, and bullfights. In her romantic life, she went her own way, always keen for male attention. But she credited her husband, Willem de Kooning, as her greatest influence; rather than being overshadowed by his fame, she worked "in his light." Nearly two decades after their separation, after finally embracing sobriety herself, she returned to his side to rescue him from severe alcoholism. Based on painstaking research and dozens of interviews, A Generous Vision brings to life a leading figure of twentieth-century art who lived a full and fascinating life on her own terms.

Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989) was a noted art critic and artist, and a prime mover in the New York art world. She was a vivacious social catalyst. Her sparkling wit enlivened meetings of the Club, nights at the Cedar Tavern, and chance conversations on the street. Her droll sense of humour, generosity of spirit, and freewheeling spending were as legendary as her ever-present cigarette.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The brilliant coming-of-age-and-into-superstardom story of one of the greatest artists of all time, in his own words—featuring never-before-seen photos, original scrapbooks and lyric sheets, and the exquisite memoir he began writing before his tragic death NAMED ONE OF THE BEST MUSIC BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND THE GUARDIAN • NOMINATED FOR THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD Prince was a musical genius, one of the most beloved, accomplished, and acclaimed musicians of our time. He was a startlingly original visionary with an imagination deep enough to whip up whole worlds, from the sexy, gritty funk paradise of “Uptown” to the mythical landscape of Purple Rain to the psychedelia of “Paisley Park.” But his most ambitious creative act was turning Prince Rogers Nelson, born in Minnesota, into Prince, one of the greatest pop stars of any era. The Beautiful Ones is the story of how Prince became Prince—a first-person account of a kid absorbing the world around him and then creating a persona, an artistic vision, and a life, before the hits and fame that would come to define him. The book is told in four parts. The first is the memoir Prince was writing before his tragic death, pages that bring us into his childhood world through his own lyrical prose. The second part takes us through Prince’s early years as a musician, before his first album was released, via an evocative scrapbook of writing and photos. The third section shows us Prince’s evolution through candid images that go up to the cusp of his greatest achievement, which we see in the book’s fourth section: his original handwritten treatment for Purple Rain—the final stage in Prince’s self-creation, where he retells the autobiography of the first three parts as a heroic journey. The book is framed by editor Dan Piepenbring’s riveting and moving introduction about his profound collaboration with Prince in his final months—a time when Prince was thinking deeply about how to reveal more of himself and his ideas to the world, while retaining the mystery and mystique he’d so carefully cultivated—and annotations that provide context to the book’s images. This work is not just a tribute to an icon, but an original and energizing literary work in its own right, full of Prince’s ideas and vision, his voice and image—his undying gift to the world.

Rich with inspiring stories and practical suggestions, I Like Giving will help you create a lifestyle of generosity. Choosing to live a generous life can transform you and the world around you. Something incredible happens when giving becomes your own idea, not something you do out of duty or obligation. When you move from awareness to action, miracles happen. As you make giving a lifestyle, you’ll realize you’re not only loving life more, you’re also creating a more generous world— a better world for all of us. Inside you’ll find tips about: • Thinking of giving as something you get to do, not something you have to do. • How to raise kids with a sensitivity to others’ needs. • Making a difference without being a millionaire. • Practical ideas for ways to give to people around you every day. I Like Giving shows you how to experience the joy of giving because we all have something to give. Beyond money or things, giving can be a listening ear, a touch, or simply the gift of time. Giving is living.

At midlife, our outlook can become blurry. But it's also an opportunity to recalibrate our vision. Drawing on Ecclesiastes, this book helps us navigate midlife with fresh clarity and purpose, renewing us for meaningful mission and service. Rediscover who God has called you to be and see the rest of your life with the clarity of 40/40 vision.

"Does my life make a difference?" People of all ages and stages of life want to live a life that has meaning and extends beyond their years on earth. In A Generous Life, Hobby Lobby founder David Green suggests readers start now to adopt a lifestyle of generosity. As the founder and CEO of the largest privately owned arts and crafts retailer in the world, David has amassed material wealth, yet has learned the secret of generous living. As someone who gives away half of his profits to charity, lives with integrity and faith, and enjoys the peace of crafting a legacy now, David has found peace and fulfillment. A Generous Life: guides you through ten simple but life-changing action steps helps you establish a generous mindset, determine where and how much to give, how to create a family legacy plan, and more teaches you how to identify your blessings—friendships, family, work, education, or talents This beautiful hardcover book has a ribbon marker and a section for you to personalize a family legacy plan of your own. A Generous Life is a thoughtful gift for: Christians looking for ways to connect with their purpose and faith housewarming parties, baby showers for new parents, or college graduates fans of Hobby Lobby and founder David With practical helps on everything from deciding what you want your legacy to be to talking about money with your children, A Generous Life helps you start right where you are. You are richer than you know—and when you give it back to our generous God, your true wealth will never end.

A Generous Presence is a collection of story-driven essays about the philosophy, tools, and work of coaching that is designed to support all spiritual leaders in deepening and enriching their personal and professional relationships. By practicing the coaching tools Rochelle Melander offers, spiritual leaders will be better equipped to guide those they work with toward accepting the past, creating a life vision, and setting goals for the future. Additionally, the tools provided in this book will help leaders understand themselves and enable them to strengthen their definitions for healthy living, raise their awareness about their own life and relationship skills, and improve their skills in relating to individuals and groups.

Not only are humans born to be generous, we are born in the image of a loving and generous God. And sometimes we need a reminder. These 28 devotionals gathered into four weekly themes, inspire the reader to discover the powerful Christian principles of gratitude, prayer, and faith—leading them back to the generous life they were born to live. The daily readings are written by the diverse group of pastors, business and church leaders, speakers, and authors who make up the Horizons Stewardship Team. Each reading includes scripture, a message containing personal stories and anecdotes, and a challenge to inspire the reader toward the discovery of the powerful Christian principles of gratitude, prayer, and faith—all which will lead them back to the generous life they were born to live.

Asking parishioners for money is very different from creating congregations of generous people. In this provocative book, stewardship consultant Michael Durall argues convincingly that annual pledge drives inadvertently perpetuate low-level and same-level giving in congregations. Written with the voice of experience, this book will help clergy and lay leaders initiate and sustain effective stewardship programs. Durall believes that asking for money eventually becomes routine, even tedious-but creating a congregation of generous people becomes ever more meaningful with passing time.